Welcome to USAAA WeeklyNews, an email newsletter that addresses a range of topics on Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorders.

Autistic Man Survives 3 Weeks Stranded In Utah Desert

(KUTV) An autistic man survived being stranded in the Escalante Desert for over 3-weeks. He was found severely emaciated, but alive.

28-year-old William Martin LaFever was hiking in Boulder, Utah with his dog when some of his hiking gear was stolen. He contacted his father and told him what happened. His father told him to get to Page, Arizona where he would wire his son money.

He says he ate frogs and roots to survive and drank river water to stay hydrated.

LaFever decided to hike along the Escalante River to get to Page, but eventually ran out of food and began to weaken.

When he was found he only had his clothing. He had ditched the rest of his gear and his dog ran away. He says he ate frogs and roots to survive and drank river water to stay hydrated.

LaFever’s sister called the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office on July 9th to report her brother missing.

Thursday, Deputy Gardner in and a UHP helicopter from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office spotted the man about 5 miles away from Lake Powell.

They put him in the helicopter and flew him to Garfield Memorial Hospital where he is expected to spend several days recovering.

A Proud Father Tells What His Daughter And 'Stephanie's Day' Mean To Him

LOS ANGELES (CBS) - For the ever-increasing number of children and families affected by autism, finding support and resources is often difficult.

For the second year in a row, CBS2 and KCAL9 will be hosting a very special event and resource fair called "Stephanie’s Day," started by CBS2 and KCAL9 President and General

Stephanie was like all kids: happy, healthy, developing like other babies. But, at 2-and-a-half-years-old, things changed. She started having trouble eating, her crawling was a little different. She stopped crying.

Health reporter Lisa Sigell recently sat down with Mauldin to find out how this event got started and what his daughter - and her day - means to her father.

Hug after hug, a high five and a kiss - this is how Stephanie fills people with joy she sees from the inside out.

"You just feel this aura of Stephanie that's very, very special," Mauldin said. "She’s a beautiful young lady that has a great spirit."

What happens when you have a family where the couple has two of their children diagnosed with autism, and one parent is also affected by Asperger's Syndrome. Christopher Gauthier and Jacqueline Gauthier have found love and partnership while raising two children on the autism spectrum. They also have learned "surviving but struggling to thrive" a marriage as well as developing a community network of support. They have developed a language to understand one another based on Asperger's Identity and Sensory Issues.

The couple has two of their children diagnosed with autism, and one parent is also affected by Asperger's Syndrome.

Christopher and Jacqueline Gauthier, and Lauren H. Kerstein, MS, LCSW will be presenting "Building Relationships, Marriage, and Family in the Context of Autism", at the USAAA 2012 World Conference in Denver, Colorado September 6-9. Lauren H. Kerstein, MS, LCSW will discuss how to work with couples on their own interpersonal relationships given that one parent is on the autism spectrum and at least one child is affected by autism; and how they cope with each other's behaviors. She will also discuss the lack of insight and the pressures of having children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Christopher M. Gauthier is an actively exhibiting artist teaching Fine Art Photography at Utah State University. He holds a MFA from Ohio University in photography and received a BA from Southern Illinois University. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Mississippi Museum of Art; Webster University, The Netherlands; Koltsovo Airport, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation and in private collections nationally and internationally. Autism advocacy became a personal imperative when he became aware of the link between his environmental concerns and his children's autism. Chris is a collaborative partner in the photographic project. Evidence and Artifacts: Facing Autism.

Jacqueline F. Gauthier studied Social Work at Eastern Mennonite University and is currently the Director for Morningside School, a private Preschool and Kindergarten in Logan, UT. Jacqueline became invested in autism related issues with the birth of their children, Madeline and Caleb. She is a collaborative partner in the photographic project Evidence and Artifacts: Facing Autism.

Lauren Kerstein is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with children, adolescents, adults and families. After receiving Bachelors of Arts in both Education and Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, Lauren attended George Warren Brown School of Social Work and received a Masters in Social Work. Lauren is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver in the Graduate School of Social Work. More...

The US Autism & Asperger Association 7th Annual World Conference & Expo headquarters are at the Crowne Plaza International Airport Hotel and Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, September 6-9, 2012. This is the first time USAAA has returned to the Denver area since the 2nd annual conference in 2007 where over 800 people attended. Hotel Reservations.

The USAAA Conference Experience is for parents, caregivers, family members, healthcare practitioners, self-advocates, students, educators, friends and anyone who wants to learn more about Autism, Asperger's, and PDD-NOS Research, Treatment Modalities, Resources, and Avenues for Advocacy.

"The greatest gift we received yet was attending the four-day USAAA conference last year. There I met my heroes and found mentors that gave me hope and expanded my paradigm."
- Sara McCarter, Mom to Magnus "the great"

"I have been attending medical conferences for over twenty-five years. My grandson is affected by autism, so I wanted to learn more about autism spectrum disorders as well as claim continuing medical education credits for my practice. The USAAA conference is the most organized and thorough conference I have ever attended, including all of the medical conferences I attended in the past."

- Dr. Robert B., physician who attended first USAAA conference

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